In the history of women's tennis, only Steffi Graf has won the Golden Slam, and in her case it was the even more elusive Golden Grand Slam a gold medal in the same calendar year that she also won the Grand Slam, a rare achievement that can only happen if a player is peaking during an Olympic year.

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In his place, Andy Murray has risen, taking Olympic gold and then his first Slam at the U.S. Open, and playing with a new confidence.

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Williams, who has 13 Grand Slam titles and two Olympic Gold metals, announced on Saturday that she would be pulling out of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo and the China Open in Beijing later this year in order to continue healing after a July foot injury.

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Andy Murray was made an OBE in a year which saw him win Olympic gold and become the first British man to win a grand slam singles title for 76 years when he triumphed in the US Open.

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Meanwhile, Williams was in vintage form in 2012 as the 31-year-old tasted Olympic singles gold for the first time in addition to taking her grand slam collection to 15 titles, following this year's triumphs at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

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He is a two-time US Open Champion and has won all four Grand Slam singles titles, and has victories in Davis Cup, Masters Series and an Olympic gold medal thanks to his precision and exceptional timing.

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